The sea raged against the rocks, yet the old sailor scarcely noticed the peril. His eyes fixed on the figure perched at the water’s edge—a vision half woman, half sea-born mystery. The mermaid’s gaze held him fast, neither cruel nor kind, as if she alone knew whether the waves would claim him or carry him clear. Was she a warning, a promise, or the beginning of his undoing? The tide whispered no answer, and still he could not look away.
